Hopper-car end and ladder construction



eh 1927 D. HINDAHL HOPPER CAR END AND LADDER CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. '7, 1925 Patented eb. 15, 1927.

DAVID HINDAI-IL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO HARRY S. HART, OF CHICAGO,

ILLINOIS.

HOPPER-CAR END AND LADDER CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed December 7, 1925. Serial No. 73,589. i

This invention relates to an improvement in hopper cars of the type known as Maxend cars, shown for example in the patents to H. S. Hart No. 1,273,853, July 30th, 1918, and

to David Hindahl No. 1,453,675, May 1st,

ments of the Interstate Commerce Commis-- sion. At the same time, it is desirable that the load discharging doors should have as great length as possible in order to efficiently discharge the load, but the sill step limits the length which this door 'can have; moreover it is essential that the sill step be directly under the ladder so far as this is possible. In the patents above referred to. the sill step is placed considerably to one side of the ladder, making it difficult for the trainmen to pass easily from? the sill step to the ladder. The present invention overcomes this difliculty and provides an improvement in the method of forming an end recess'at the ('ar side for the purpose of receiving the ladder rungs.

According to the present invention, the top member of the auxiliary door frame is formed by a Z-bar introduced between the corner of the car and the nearest side stake, the dimensions of the Z-bar being such that its web will define the proper depth of ladder recess in addition to providing the anchorage or arch for the vertically swinging auxiliary door and overhang from which the foot sill portion of the ladder may depend, and the Z-bar being arranged with its upwardly presented flange next to the side plate which defines the outer surface of the car, and its downwardly presented flange offset horizonof the auxiliary door may be attached, the

ledge or overhang beneath which the foot sill or bottom portion of the ladder is suspended,

\and the recess for the upper port of the ladder, besidesleaving the inner depending flange of the Z-bar as a protecting apron bet-ween the outflowing lading and the u per edge of the door and hinges; then, in order to permit use of the same continuous side plate in the ladder recess as in the outer plane of the car wall, that portion of the outer and upwardly presented flange of the Z-bar corresponding to the width of the ladder recess is cut away, and the portion of the side plate beyond the vertical Z-bar flange that is left is deflected inwardly and transversely to the car a distance corresponding to the depth of the ladder recess, and a distance sufficient to bring the deflecting portion of the plate in the vertical plane of the inner depending flange or leg of the Z-bar, in which plane said portion of the plate continues to the corner of the car. And in order to develop a substantial corner construction, and one which will afford bolting facility for the ends of the hand irons, the said deflected portion of the side plate is continued in the inwardly offset plane thereof a sufficient distance beyond the end plane of the car to afford a substantial riveting flange, and the end plate is bent outwardly to provide a corresponding riveting flange beyond the plane of the end plate; and these two flanges, riveted together, afford a substantial support for the understood, the preferred embodiment thereof will now be described in detail in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of an end portion of a railway hopper car, for which the selected illustrative embodiment of the invention is particularly designed.

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2* x of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3 3 of Figure 1; and

Figure/1 is a sectional detail view on the line 9-4" of Figure 1. V

1 represents the side wall, 2 a sustaining stake, 3 a portion of the main hopper hottom, and 4 the auxiliary side door which affords lateral escape for lading located in the end of the car eyond the main hopper 3c and in the position to reach said door 4;

dimension in the direction or the length of the car. lit has heretofore been proposed to locate a structural member 7 between the extreme end of the car' and the stake 2, and

. space said member upwardly from frame members 8 of the door a distance suflicient to provide a framing for the auxlliary door 4: and to aflord mounting for the door hinges 9; also to provide a support from which the foot sill portion 6 of the ladder may depend.

According to the present invention, the framing member 7 is of Z-bar construction with an upwardly presented leg or flange 7 in position to receive the inner face of the side plate 1, a horizontal web 7", and a down- Wardly presented leg'or flange 7 offset inwardly by said web. lthe width of the web 7 is such as to adapt it to define the depth of a ladder recess 10 within the overall transverse dimension of the car, also to atford the desired overhang or place for hinges 9 and foot sill ladder section 6., lit also presents the dependin flange 7 in a position to afford a guard etween the outflowing lading and the upper edge of the door 4, as well as the l1inges, as will best be seen in Figure 4. V A

As shown'at 7* in Figure 1, the upstanding outer flange 7 of the Z-bar is omitted for a distance corresponding. to the width of the ladder recess 10, so that the side plate 1 can be deflected around the end of the remaining portion of the flange 7 to provide a side wall 1 of the ladder recess 10, and thence, from the inner limit of said side wall, deflected longitudinally of the car to provide the back wall 1 of the ladder recess in the vertical plane of the inner face of the depending inner flange 7 of the Z-bar; and in order to properly sustain these deflected portions of the side plate, the portion 1 at the back of the ladder pocket is continued vertically downward over the inner face of flange 7, as shown at 1 in Figure 2, and there secured by rivets 1 (Figure 1).

In order to develop a substantial corner construction, the deflected portion 1 of the plate 1 is continued longitudinall of the car beyond the end plate 11, and t e latter, as shown more clearly in Figure 3, is deflected from the plane of the end of the car outwardly to provide a riveting'flange 11* to which the protruding portion of plate section 1" is secured, as, for instance, by ladder rivets 12 and such intermediate rivets 13 as may be desirable.

12 represents the hand irons which compose the upper portion of the ladder. These ladder, as

notneon may be or any approved design and they are secured by rivets 12 12", of which theiormer, as already explained, pass through the corner flange 11 and the lapped portion of plate; section 11", while the latter pass through the plate section 1 adjacent to the side wall 1 of the ladder recess. A feature of the present invention consists in locating the attaching rivets 12, or equivalent means, at the extremeend of the car, as shown, with the advantageous eflect of bringing the upper portion of the ladder, consisting of the hand irons l2, vertically above the foot sill portion 6, and corresponding avoidance of the hazard of missing the hand hold, which is a liabilit I when the upper portion of the eretoiore, has been necessarily ofl's et inwardly from the. end in order to find a location for the rivets 12 that would not interfere with the corner construction.

li'claim:

1. In a car construction, a side plate member in an outer plane, a side plate member in a plane offset inwardly from said outer plane, and a Z-bar member having correspondingly oflset flanges presented in position to receive the respective plate members, one of said plate members being deflected from the plane thereof toward the plane of the other plate member; and the Z-bar flan e which receives the deflected plate mem-.

ber eing cut away at the point of deflection.

2. In a car construction, a side plate member in an outer plane, a side plate member in a plane ofl'set inwardly from said outer plane, and a Z-bar'member having correspondingly offset flanges presented 1n posi: tion to receive respective plate members, one of said plate members being deflected from the plane thereof toward the plane of the other plate member; and the ZZ-bar flan e which receives the deflected plate member being cut away at the point of deflection and beyond the same a distance corresponding to the width of said other plate member. I

' 3. In a car construction, a plate deflected to provide integral plate members in outer and inner planes oflset one from the other, and a Z-bar member having a flange ext/ending in one direction in a plane to receive one of said plate members, but cut away from and beyond the plane of deflection beand inner wall plates lying in planes oflset I viding by such offset a ladder recess, and ladder members located in said recess.

5. In car constructions, a Z-bar having a substantially horizontal web and flanges extending vertically but in .opposite directions from said web, and in planes offset by the width of the web, a door mounted uponsaid frame member, an outer plate secured to one of said flanges, another plate offset a distance correspondin substantially to'the width of the said well and secured to the other of said flanges, thereby providing a ladder recess, and ladder members located in said recess.

6. In car-body constructions, wall plate members in planes ofi'set inwardly one fromthe other and providing a ladder recess, air

intersecting wall plate member, the plate member in the inwardly offset plane having a continuing portion beyond the-plane of said intersecting wall plate member, ladder members and sill step members secured to said continuing portion.

7. In car-body constructions, wall members in planes offset inwardly one rom the other and providing a ladder recess, an intersecting wall plate member, the plate member in the inwardly ofl'set plane having a continuing portion beyond the plane of said intersecting wall plate member, said intersecting wall-plate member having an out-turned flange lapping upon said con tinuing portion, ladder members and sill step members secured to said continuing portion and lapping flange.

8. In railway car-wall constructions, wall plates lying in planesoffset inwardly one from the other, a .wall plate intersecting the inwardly ofiset wall plate, said inwardly offset wall plate having a continuing portion beyond said intersecting wall plate, and said intersecting wall plate having an outturned-flange lapping upon said continuing portion, and a frame member having flanges ofiset inwardly one from the other and secured respectively to the outer and inner wall plates; one end of said frame member being secured to said continuing portion and lapping flange. Y r

9. In railway car-wall constructions, outer inwardly one from the other, va wall plate separating the inwardly one from the other, a wall plate intersecting the inwardly oflset wall plate, said inwardly ofl'set wall plate having a continuing portion beyond said intersecting wall plate, and said intersecting wall platehaving an out-turned flanglapping'upon said. continuing portion, a stake late cured to said stake.

10. In railway car wall constructions, a frame member comprlsing a web portion and vertically extendlng outer andinner flange portions offset by'said web-portion one inwardly from the other, a door hinged to said frame member, outer and inner wall plates offset one inwardly from the other, secured respectively to the outer and inner flanges and providing, by their offsetting, a ladderrecess, a wall plate intersecting saidinner wall plate, said inner wall plate having a continuing portion beyond the plane' of intersection of said intersecting wall plate, upper ladder members in said ladder recess having their ends secured to said continuing portion, and a lower ladder member located between said door and the carend and depending from said frame member; said upper ladder members being vertically above said lower ladder memben;

frame member comprising a web portion and vertically extending outerand inner flange portions offset by said web-portion one inwardly from the other, a door hinged to said frame member, outer and inner wall plates offset one inwardly fromtheother, secured respectively to the outer-and inner flan es ind providing, by their offset-ting, a lad er recess, a Wall plate intersecting said inner 11. In railway car wall constructions, a

wall plate, said inner wall plate having a continuing portion beyond the plane of intersectlon of said intersectin wall plate, said intersecting wall plate havmgjanout-turned attaching flange lapping upon' s'aid continuing portion, upper ladder"'inembers in said ladder recesshaving their ends secured to said continuing portion and to the outturned lapping portion of the intersecting wall plate, and a lower ladder member located between said door and the car end and depending from said frame member.

12. A car of the" class described having a side wall extended beyond the end wall and ladder rungs and a sill step secured atone end to the extended portion of the side and at their other ends to the car body.

. Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 3d day of December, 1925.

DAVID ninam. 

